We all have too much to remember—and not enough brain space to keep up.
That’s where the Second Brain system comes in.
Popularized by Tiago Forte and embraced by creators, developers, and UX professionals alike, the idea is simple: build a reliable external system for capturing and organizing knowledge—so you can think better, stress less, and create more.
If you’re using Notion for structured storage and Excalidraw for sketching ideas visually, you’re already halfway there.
Here’s how to combine the two—and add in one essential capture tool (hint: Clipbo.red)—to build a second brain that actually works.
🧠 What Is a Second Brain?
A second brain is your external memory system—a personal knowledge base where ideas, notes, tasks, references, and inspiration live.
It helps you:
- Reduce cognitive overload
- Save ideas before you forget them
- Make better decisions using your own past thinking
Think of it as a searchable archive of your brain’s best work—ready whenever you need it.
🧱 Tool Stack: Notion + Excalidraw (and Clipbo.red)
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Notion | Long-term storage, structure, tags, linking |
| Excalidraw | Quick sketches, mind maps, conceptual thinking |
| Clipbo.red | Instant idea capture before organization |
Let’s break it down.
📚 Step 1: Use Notion to Structure Your Knowledge
- Create pages for each area of knowledge (Projects, People, Topics)
- Use linked databases to connect your notes and insights
- Add properties like Tags, Sources, and Status to filter your content later
- Leverage templates for Research Repositories, Zettelkasten cards, or Daily Notes
💡 Pro Tip: Start small. Don’t over-design your second brain. Add structure only after you have a few notes in place.
✍️ Step 2: Think Visually with Excalidraw
Excalidraw is perfect for:
- Sketching user journeys
- Mapping systems or frameworks
- Capturing messy thoughts before they’re ready for Notion
Save your Excalidraw links inside Notion, or export PNGs and embed them in knowledge pages.
Use Excalidraw as the “whiteboard layer” of your second brain—freeform, fast, and idea-friendly.
📎 Step 3: Capture Everything Instantly with Clipbo.red
The biggest weakness of most Second Brain systems?
You forget to capture ideas in the moment.
That’s where Clipbo.red fits in.
- Use the clipboard feature to instantly save:
- Quotes
- Ideas
- Snippets
- Notes from articles
- Review your clipboard later and move what matters into Notion
This makes Clipbo.red your “first brain” inbox—a zero-friction capture zone that prevents good ideas from slipping away.
🔄 Example Workflow
Imagine you’re reading an article or in a meeting:
- You have an insight → Save it in Clipbo.red with one click
- Sketch the related concept in Excalidraw
- End of day: Move both into your Second Brain in Notion
- Tag, organize, and link to related content
You’ve just built a connected, long-term resource—with no friction.
🚀 Start Building Your Second Brain Today
Building a second brain isn’t about perfection—it’s about capturing your best thinking before it disappears.
With:
- Notion for structure
- Excalidraw for sketching
- Clipbo.red for fast capture
…you’ll finally have a system that grows with your creativity, not against it.
✅ Try This Now:
Use Clipbo.red as your Second Brain Inbox:
- Save 3 things you’d normally forget: a quote, an idea, a research link
- Review them at the end of the day
- Move them into your Notion Second Brain